Anvils the Ancestral Home of the Dunzenkell

“Oi, ye there! D’ye hear that crisp mountain air howlin’ through the portal? Aye, that’s the Anvils callin’. Mountains carved by our forebears, halls deep enough to lose yer mind in, and old roads that’ll test yer stout legs, yer wits, and yer courage all at once. Bring a whetstone for yer blade, a rope for the climbs, coin for those Niküa traders, and somethin’ sturdy for... persuadin’ anythin’ that donnae take kindly to visitors, heh. If ye go, watch yerself. These mountains still breathe, and the deep's full o’ whispers eager to strike a bargain.”

- Garrim Hammersong, Restoration’s Hammer

Two Veins, One Mountain

Once the proud heartland of dwarven craft and commerce, the Anvils rang with the rhythm of hammers and the low chant of bargains struck. Vascular halls carved down from mountaintop mesas bore witness to pacts made and broken, fortunes gained and lost. The apocalypse shattered the realm and its people alike. All that remains are soulless automata of stone and steel fulfilling mysterious machinations, and something deeper still, scheming with purposes unknown.

Now, the sunken forges and misty plateaus call once again to the Dünir, who walk the halls their ancestors carved and reignite traditions left to smolder. For the Niküa, whose descendants once called these shores home, the Anvils have become a new frontier where rising camps and coastal harbors emerge among old trade routes and echoing traditions. For all who tread here, these steppes promise danger, discovery, and the chance to chisel new stories into ancient stone.

Where Will You Stoke Your Hearth? 

It wouldn’t be Verra without the rise and fall of nodes, settlements that grow, evolve, and fall as player-dictated destiny wills them. Across the Anvils, nodes are more than mere outposts; they are living reflections of those who build them, growing from modest encampments to fortified mountain cities or bustling harbors, shaped by craft and commerce.

For those who travel in guilds, the mountains hold an ancient castle node, a prize to be seized and ruled. Guilds that claim the castle will shape the fate of the region, forging alliances and rivalries that fracture the land like cracks through stone.

But these peaks will not yield easily. Like anywhere across Verra, the weather turns wild without warning. Your actions may trigger events when least expected: bandits ambushing trade routes, ancient constructs awakening in the dark, or elemental forces slipping free of their bonds.

Meet The Locals!

While you’ve been gallivanting across the Aelan Empire, the minotaurs have claimed these highlands as their own. They’re not known for their hospitality; territorial, well-armed, and towering over most dwarves, you’ll need to earn the right to tread within the domains of these bovine humanoids. 

Yet they’re far from the only threat you’ll encounter. Some speak of ancient automata stirring in abandoned halls, their forms twisted by corruption and long-forgotten oaths broken. Others warn of corrupted constructs and golems, made to serve a master no one dares name. Bandits and exiles stalk the forgotten passes, while darker things slither through tunnels where darkness and shut eyes are one. Should you find yourself in a shifty alehouse, you may also hear whispers of voices in the deep, forges roaring where no flame should burn, and something older and hungrier lurking beneath the peaks.

Where to Start Your Itinerary

Beneath mountains and between valleys lie pocket dungeons filled with unexpected dangers, secrets left untold, and historic dwarven riches. For those who brave the dark, these hidden places promise both danger and discovery.

Some notable pocket dungeons in this region include: 

• Nexus Regulator - Forgotten intake tunnels hum with old machinery and faint signs of life. Bronze halls and intricate levers remain eerily intact, even as nature claws its way in.
• Surge Conduit - Crumbling aqueducts pulse with dark runoff, moss-slick and choked with old bones. Slime and oozes thrive where clean water once flowed.
• Veinbreaker Mines - Endless tracks and tangled tunnels echo with the memories of tireless work. Muddy pools and aged mechanisms remain ready to serve purposes best left buried.
• Legacy Vaults - Massive sealed doors guard ancestral opulence and lingering curses. Even in ruin, these halls keep watch over what was once treasured.
• Hollowhearth - Smoke-stained tunnels and blackened chambers still hold the promise of fuel and fire. Ash drifts gather in corners where even light dares not linger.
• Varnok’s Forge - A secluded workshop frozen mid-creation. Tools and enchantments sit untouched, waiting for a master’s hand. Dust and silence reign where craft once thrived.
• Gallowsgate Exchange - Collapsed markets and crooked stalls serve as relics of broken bargains, where murmurs offered trade, but not always at a fair price.

Share Your Feedback

Whether you’re here to trade, fight, explore, or settle within the Anvils, your perspective is invaluable in helping shape Ashes of Creation into the best MMORPG it can be. As you navigate these rediscovered mountains, we encourage you to take note of your experiences and share them with us on the forums. You can also report bugs directly in-game using the /bug command. We look forward to reviewing your feedback and bug reports, and we deeply appreciate your continued support throughout our development journey. If you haven't already, please be sure to follow us on your social media platform of choice for the latest updates and news.